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Superhuman: Life at the Extremes of Our Capacity
by Dr Rowan HooperFrom evolutionary biologist Rowan Hooper, an awe-inspiring look into the extremes of human ability—and what they tell us about our own potential.In 1997, an endurance runner named Yiannis Kouros ran 188 miles in twenty-four hours. Akira Haraguchi, a sixty year-old man in Tokyo, can recite pi to the 100,000th decimal point. John Nunn was accepted to Oxford University at age 15, the youngest undergraduate in 500 years. After a horrific attack by her estranged husband, Carmen Tarleton was left with burns to over eighty percent of her body. One of her surgeons said her injuries “were beyond anything we have ever seen.” After a three-month coma, multiple skin grafts, and successful face transplant, Tarleton is now a motivational speaker. What does it feel like to be exceptional? And what does it take to get there? Why can some people achieve greatness when others can’t, no matter how hard they try? Just how much potential does our species have? Evolutionary biologist Rowan Hooper has the answers. In Superhuman he takes us on a breathtaking tour of the peaks of human achievement that shows us what it feels like to be extraordinary—and what it takes to get there. Drawing on interviews with these “superhumans” and those who have studied them, Hooper assesses the science and genetics of peak potential. His case studies are as inspirational as they are varied, highlighting feats of endurance, strength, intelligence, and memory. Superhuman is a fascinating, eye-opening, and inspiring celebration for anyone who ever felt that they might be able to do something extraordinary in life, for those who simply want to succeed, and for anyone interested in the sublime possibilities of humankind.
Superhuman: Life at the Extremes of Mental and Physical Ability
by Rowan HooperSunday Times Book of the YearThis is a book about what it feels like to be exceptional - and what it takes to get there. Why can some people achieve greatness when others can't, no matter how hard they try? What are the secrets of long life and happiness? Just how much potential does our species have?In this inspirational book, New Scientist Managing Editor Rowan Hooper takes us on a tour of the peaks of human achievement. We sit down with some of the world's finest minds, from a Nobel-prize winning scientist to a double Booker-prize winning author; we meet people whose power of focus has been the difference between a world record and death; we learn from international opera stars; we go back in time with memory champions, and we explore the transcendent experience of ultrarunners. We meet people who have rebounded from near-death, those who have demonstrated exceptional bravery, and those who have found happiness in the most unexpected ways.Drawing on interviews with a wide range of superhumans as well as those who study them, Hooper assesses the science of peak potential, reviewing the role of genetics alongside the famed 10,000 hours of practice.For anyone who ever felt that they might be able to do something extraordinary in life, for those who simply want to succeed, and for anyone interested in incredible human stories, Superhuman is a must-read.
Superhuman: Life at the Extremes of Mental and Physical Ability
by Rowan HooperSunday Times Book of the YearThis is a book about what it feels like to be exceptional - and what it takes to get there. Why can some people achieve greatness when others can't, no matter how hard they try? What are the secrets of long life and happiness? Just how much potential does our species have?In this inspirational book, New Scientist Managing Editor Rowan Hooper takes us on a tour of the peaks of human achievement. We sit down with some of the world's finest minds, from a Nobel-prize winning scientist to a double Booker-prize winning author; we meet people whose power of focus has been the difference between a world record and death; we learn from international opera stars; we go back in time with memory champions, and we explore the transcendent experience of ultrarunners. We meet people who have rebounded from near-death, those who have demonstrated exceptional bravery, and those who have found happiness in the most unexpected ways.Drawing on interviews with a wide range of superhumans as well as those who study them, Hooper assesses the science of peak potential, reviewing the role of genetics alongside the famed 10,000 hours of practice.For anyone who ever felt that they might be able to do something extraordinary in life, for those who simply want to succeed, and for anyone interested in incredible human stories, Superhuman is a must-read.
Superhuman
by Professor Lord Robert Winston Lori OliwensteinAccompanying the major new BBC documentary series, Superhuman explores the human bodys astonishing ability to heal, renew and regenerate itself. In recording the before, during and after of radical operations on real people it introduces us to the pioneering efforts of medical teams and alerts us to the ethical issues that new medical advances raise. Over six chapters Superhuman addresses significant developments within six key medical areas: cancer, infection, transplantation, trauma, repair and reproduction. Acknowledging the debt modern physicians owe to yesterday Superhuman begins by investigating the human bodys innate abilities to heal itself. And, as we gladly launch ourselves into an age of biotechnology, it questions whether we might now use all the information available to us to comprehend finally how our bodies work? If we can achieve that, perhaps becoming superhuman is truly within our reach. Chapter one introduces us to the trauma surgeons who have discovered that the shock that follows trauma can prove beneficial in saving the body and the brain. Chapter two chronicles the astonishing technology now being used in medical transplants and the contentious issues these processes excite. Should technology continue to develop apace how are doctors and patients to choose between using an artificial limb created specifically for a patient, a human limb grown from the patients own genetic information, or the alternative solutions offered by the animal kingdom? And is intervention of true benefit to the patient if it requires a lifetime of immuno-suppressing drugs? The recent successes of the Human Genome Project have dissolved the boundaries of regeneration with made-to-order organs no longer beyond our limits. Chapter three presents the scientists responsible for engineering human tissue from materials found in the body and outlines how they might help us might claim our lost powers of regeneration. Chapter four relates how we are faring in the battle against the old enemy cancer and tells how experts in this field are trying to regain control of the cancer cells that turn against us. Chapter five explains how we strive to combat the threats we all face living in a modern world teeming with globetrotters who share one feature we're all potential contagion-carriers. Superhuman goes on to inform of the dangers of pushing too far to eradicate infectious disease from our lives completely. Chapter six spotlights an area of considerable debate that will possibly alter the course of human evolution fertility and genetic manipulation. Superhuman discusses both the advantages and the dangers of new technologies in this area, arguing that they have many positive applications and that often the hazards are overstated, solely through fear. In an attempt never to lose sight of our humanity while inviting the superhuman in us all to work, Superhuman encourages a holistic approach to medicine and an open forum for the discussion of the future of medical science.
The Superhuman Mind: Free the Genius in Your Brain
by Ma Kristian Marlow Berit BrogaardDid you know your brain has superpowers? Berit Brogaard, PhD, and Kristian Marlow, MA, study people with astonishing talents--memory champions, human echolocators, musical virtuosos, math geniuses, and synesthetes who taste colors and hear faces. But as amazing as these abilities are, they are not mysterious. Our brains constantly process a huge amount of information below our awareness, and what these gifted individuals have in common is that through practice, injury, an innate brain disorder, or even more unusual circumstances, they have managed to gain a degree of conscious access to this potent processing power. The Superhuman Mind takes us inside the lives and brains of geniuses, savants, virtuosos, and a wide variety of ordinary people who have acquired truly extraordinary talents, one way or another. Delving into the neurological underpinnings of these abilities, the authors even reveal how we can acquire some of them ourselves--from perfect pitch and lightning fast math skills to supercharged creativity. The Superhuman Mind is a book full of the fascinating science readers look for from the likes of Oliver Sacks, combined with the exhilarating promise of Moonwalking with Einstein.
A Superintense Laser-Plasma Interaction Theory Primer (SpringerBriefs in Physics)
by Andrea MacchiThe continuous trend towards higher and higher laser intensities has opened the way to new physical regimes and advanced applications of laser-plasma interactions, thus stimulating novel connections with ultrafast optics, astrophysics, particle physics, and biomedical applications. This book is primarily oriented towards students and young researchers who need to acquire rapidly a basic knowledge of this active and rapidly changing research field. To this aim, the presentation is focused on a selection of basic models and inspiring examples, and includes topics which emerged recently such as ion acceleration, "relativistic engineering" and radiation friction. The contents are presented in a self-contained way assuming only a basic knowledge of classical electrodynamics, mechanics and relativistic dynamics at the undergraduate (Bachelor) level, without requiring any previous knowledge of plasma physics. Hence, the book may serve in several ways: as a compact textbook for lecture courses, as a short and accessible introduction for the newcomer, as a quick reference for the experienced researcher, and also as an introduction to some nonlinear mathematical methods through examples of their application to laser-plasma modeling.
Superior: The Return of Race Science
by Angela SainiAn astute and timely examination of the re-emergence of scientific research into racial differencesSuperior tells the disturbing story of the persistent thread of belief in biological racial differences in the world of science.After the horrors of the Nazi regime in WWII, the mainstream scientific world turned its back on eugenics and the study of racial difference. But a worldwide network of unrepentant eugenicists quietly founded journals and funded research, providing the kind of shoddy studies that were ultimately cited in Richard Hernstein's and Charles Murray's 1994 title, The Bell Curve, which purported to show differences in intelligence among races. If the vast majority of scientists and scholars disavowed these ideas, and considered race a social construct, it was still an idea that managed to somehow make its way into the research into the human genome that began in earnest in the mid-1990s and continues today. Dissecting the statements and work of contemporary scientists studying human biodiversity, most of whom claim to be just following the data, Saini shows us how, again and again, science is retrofitted to accommodate race. Even as our understanding of highly complex traits like intelligence, and the complicated effect of environmental influences on human beings, from the molecular level on up, grows, the hope of finding simple genetic differences between "races"--to explain differing rates of disease, to explain poverty or test scores or to justify cultural assumptions--stubbornly persists. At a time when racialized nationalisms are a resurgent threat throughout the world, Superior is a powerful reminder that biologically, we are all far more alike than different.
The Superior Colliculus: New Approaches for Studying Sensorimotor Integration
by William C. Hall Adonis MoschovakisThe Superior Colliculus: New Approaches for Studying Sensorimotor Integration discusses new experimental and theoretical approaches to investigating how the brain transforms sensory signals into the motor commands that are used to shift the direction of gaze. The material includes the potential models for sensorimotor integration in the primate bra
Superlative: The Biology of Extremes
by MATTHEW D. LAPLANTE2019 Foreword Indie Silver Award Winner for Science Welcome to the biggest, fastest, deadliest science book you'll ever read. The world's largest land mammal could help us end cancer. The fastest bird is showing us how to solve a century-old engineering mystery. The oldest tree is giving us insights into climate change. The loudest whale is offering clues about the impact of solar storms. For a long time, scientists ignored superlative life forms as outliers. Increasingly, though, researchers are coming to see great value in studying plants and animals that exist on the outermost edges of the bell curve. As it turns out, there's a lot of value in paying close attention to the "oddballs" nature has to offer. Go for a swim with a ghost shark, the slowest-evolving creature known to humankind, which is teaching us new ways to think about immunity. Get to know the axolotl, which has the longest-known genome and may hold the secret to cellular regeneration. Learn about Monorhaphis chuni, the oldest discovered animal, which is providing insights into the connection between our terrestrial and aquatic worlds. Superlative is the story of extreme evolution, and what we can learn from it about ourselves, our planet, and the cosmos. It's a tale of crazy-fast cheetahs and super-strong beetles, of microbacteria and enormous plants, of whip-smart dolphins and killer snakes. This book will inspire you to change the way you think about the world and your relationship to everything in it.
The Superluminal Universe: Redefining Consciousness, Time and Space
by Régis Dutheil Brigitte DutheilFirst English translation of the French cult classic L'Homme Superlumineux which offers a mind-blowing account of human consciousness and the nature of reality that will change the way readers see the world.The Superluminal Universe reveals, for the first time in English, the incredible insights of French quantum physicist Professor Régis Dutheil. Thanks to the development of particle accelerators, physicists are now able to propel particles (tachyons) at a speed close to that of light (300,000 km per second). At these extreme speeds, the laws that govern our universe no longer apply. Professor Dutheil's work has shown that the theory of relativity is not incompatible with that of tachyons, provided that we allow for the possibility of a double reality: that alongside our sub-luminous universe, which follows the law of time, is a superluminal universe. This second reality is another universe, complementary to and symmetrical with ours, governed by superluminal space-time in which light moves 300,000 km/s to infinity.In the superluminal universe, everything is instantaneous. It is possible to conceive of a superluminal being capable of moving from one end of space to the other. This parallel universe consists only of information and consciousness: all information (past, present, future) and the consciousness of all humanity. Professor Dutheil's thesis joins the intuitions of ancient philosophers with current quantum physics to blow our current notions of time, of past and present, of the nature of consciousness, of birth and death right out of the water.
Supermathematics and its Applications in Statistical Physics
by Franz WegnerThis text presents the mathematical concepts of Grassmannvariables and the method of supersymmetry to a broad audience of physicistsinterested in applying these tools to disordered and critical systems, as wellas related topics in statistical physics. Based on many courses and seminarsheld by the author, one of the pioneers in this field, the reader is given asystematic and tutorial introduction to the subject matter. The algebra and analysis of Grassmann variables ispresented in part I. The mathematics of these variables is applied to a randommatrix model, path integrals for fermions, dimer models and the Ising model intwo dimensions. Supermathematics - the use of commuting and anticommutingvariables on an equal footing - is the subject of part II. The properties ofsupervectors and supermatrices, which contain both commuting and Grassmanncomponents, are treated in great detail, including the derivation of integraltheorems. In part III, supersymmetric physical models are considered. Whilesupersymmetry was first introduced in elementary particle physics as exactsymmetry between bosons and fermions, the formal introduction of anticommutingspacetime components, can be extended to problems of statistical physics, and,since it connects states with equal energies, has also found its way intoquantum mechanics. Several models are considered in the applications, afterwhich the representation of the random matrix model by the nonlinearsigma-model, the determination of the density of states and the levelcorrelation are derived. Eventually, the mobility edge behavior is discussedand a short account of the ten symmetry classes of disorder, two-dimensionaldisordered models, and superbosonization is given.
Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind
by Graham HancockLess than fifty thousand years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as "the greatest riddle in human history," all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers. In this book, the author sets out to investigate this mysterious "beforeandafter moment" and to discover the truth about the influences that gave birth to the modern human mind. His quest takes him on a detective journey from the stunningly beautiful painted caves of prehistoric France, Spain, and Italy to rock shelters in the mountains of South Africa, where he finds extraordinary Stone Age art. He uncovers clues that lead him to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to drink the powerful hallucinogen Ayahuasca with shamans, whose paintings contain images of "supernatural beings" identical to the animalhuman hybrids depicted in prehistoric caves. Hallucinogens such as mescaline also produce visionary encounters with exactly the same beings. Scientists at the cutting edge of consciousness research have begun to consider the possibility that such hallucinations may be real perceptions of other "dimensions." Could the "supernaturals" first depicted in the painted caves be the ancient teachers of mankind? Could it be that human evolution is not just the "meaningless" process that Darwin identified, but something more purposive and intelligent that we have barely begun to understand?
Supernavigators: Exploring The Wonders Of How Animals Find Their Way
by David Barrie“Just astonishing . . . Our natural navigational capacities are no match for those of the supernavigators in this eye-opening book.”—Frans de Waal, The New York Times Book Review Publisher’s note: Supernavigators was published in the UK under the title Incredible Journeys. Animals plainly know where they’re going, but how they know has remained a stubborn mystery—until now. Supernavigators is a globe-trotting voyage of discovery alongside astounding animals of every stripe: dung beetles that steer by the Milky Way, box jellyfish that can see above the water (with a few of their twenty-four eyes), sea turtles that sense Earth’s magnetic field, and many more. David Barrie consults animal behaviorists and Nobel Prize–winning scientists to catch us up on the cutting edge of animal intelligence—revealing these wonders in a whole new light.
Supernormal: Science, Yoga, And The Evidence For Extraordinary Psychic Abilities
by Dean RadinCan yoga and meditation unleash our inherent supernormal mental powers, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition? Is it really possible to perceive another person's thoughts and intentions? Influence objects with our minds? Envision future events? And is it possible that some of the superpowers described in ancient legends, science fiction, and comic books are actually real, and patiently waiting for us behind the scenes? Are we now poised for an evolutionary trigger to pull the switch and release our full potentials?Dean Radin, Director of Research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and bestselling author of The Conscious Universe, presents persuasive new experimental evidence for the existence of such phenomena. He takes us on a thrilling scientific journey and challenges outdated assumptions that these abilities are mere superstition. Focusing on Patanjali's mysterious Yoga Sutras -- 2,000 year-old meditation practices believed to release our extraordinary powers -- Radin offers powerful evidence confirming that sometimes fact is much stranger, spookier, and more wonderful than the wildest fiction.
Supernormal Stimuli: How Primal Urges Overran Their Evolutionary Purpose
by Deirdre BarrettA Harvard psychologist explains how our once-helpful instincts get hijacked in our garish modern world. Our instincts--for food, sex, or territorial protection-- evolved for life on the savannahs 10,000 years ago, not in today's world of densely populated cities, technological innovations, and pollution. We now have access to a glut of larger-than-life objects, from candy to pornography to atomic weapons--that gratify these gut instincts with often-dangerous results. Animal biologists coined the term "supernormal stimuli" to describe imitations that appeal to primitive instincts and exert a stronger pull than real things, such as soccer balls that geese prefer over eggs. Evolutionary psychologist Deirdre Barrett applies this concept to the alarming disconnect between human instinct and our created environment, demonstrating how supernormal stimuli are a major cause of today's most pressing problems, including obesity and war. However, Barrett does more than show how unfettered instincts fuel dangerous excesses. She also reminds us that by exercising self-control we can rein them in, potentially saving ourselves and civilization.
Supernova (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series)
by Or GraurA concise illustrated introduction to the history and physics of supernovae, the brilliant explosions of stars; with striking color illustrations. Supernovae are the explosions of stars. They are some of the most energetic phenomena in the Universe, rivaling the combined light of billions of stars. Supernovae have been studied for centuries, and they have also made appearances in popular culture: a glimpse of a supernova in a painting provides Sherlock Holmes with a crucial clue, for example. In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, astrophysicist Or Graur offers a concise and accessible introduction to these awe-inspiring astronomical phenomena. Graur explains that a deep observational understanding of supernovae—why and how they shine and how their brightness changes over time—allows us to use them as tools for experiments in astrophysics and physics. A certain type of supernova, for example, brightens and fades in such a predictable manner that we can measure the distances to their host galaxies. We owe our existence to supernovae—they give us iron for our blood and calcium for our bones. But supernovae may also have caused a mass extinction event on Earth 2.6 million years ago. Graur shows how observations of supernovae played a role in the transformation of astronomy from astrology to astrophysics; surveys the tools used to study supernovae today; and describes the lives and deaths of stars and the supernova remnants, neutron stars, and black holes they leave behind. Illustrations in both color and black and white, many from Graur&’s own Hubble Space Telescope data, make this account of supernovae particularly vivid.
Supernova Explosions
by David Branch J. Craig WheelerTargeting advanced students of astronomy and physics, as well as astronomers and physicists contemplating research on supernovae or related fields, David Branch and J. Craig Wheeler offer a modern account of the nature, causes and consequences of supernovae, as well as of issues that remain to be resolved. Owing especially to (1) the appearance of supernova 1987A in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud, (2) the spectacularly successful use of supernovae as distance indicators for cosmology, (3) the association of some supernovae with the enigmatic cosmic gamma-ray bursts, and (4) the discovery of a class of superluminous supernovae, the pace of supernova research has been increasing sharply. This monograph serves as a broad survey of modern supernova research and a guide to the current literature. The book's emphasis is on the explosive phases of supernovae. Part 1 is devoted to a survey of the kinds of observations that inform us about supernovae, some basic interpretations of such data, and an overview of the evolution of stars that brings them to an explosive endpoint. Part 2 goes into more detail on core-collapse and superluminous events: which kinds of stars produce them, and how do they do it? Part 3 is concerned with the stellar progenitors and explosion mechanisms of thermonuclear (Type Ia) supernovae. Part 4 is about consequences of supernovae and some applications to astrophysics and cosmology. References are provided in sufficient number to help the reader enter the literature.
The Supernova Story (Princeton Science Library #120)
by Laurence MarschallAstronomers believe that a supernova is a massive explosion signaling the death of a star, causing a cosmic recycling of the chemical elements and leaving behind a pulsar, black hole, or nothing at all. In an engaging story of the life cycles of stars, Laurence Marschall tells how early astronomers identified supernovae, and how later scientists came to their current understanding, piecing together observations and historical accounts to form a theory, which was tested by intensive study of SN 1987A, the brightest supernova since 1006. He has revised and updated The Supernova Story to include all the latest developments concerning SN 1987A, which astronomers still watch for possible aftershocks, as well as SN 1993J, the spectacular new event in the cosmic laboratory.
Supernovae, Neutron Star Physics and Nucleosynthesis (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library)
by Debades Bandyopadhyay Kamales KarThis book deals with the interdisciplinary areas of nuclear physics, supernovae and neutron star physics. It addresses the physics and astrophysics of the spectacular supernova explosions, starting with the collapse of massive stars and ending with the birth of neutron stars or black holes. Recent progress in the understanding of core collapse supernova (CCSN) and observational aspects of future detections of neutrinos from CCSN explosions are discussed. The other main focus in this text is the novel phases of dense nuclear matter, its compositions and equation of state (EoS) from low to very high baryon density relevant to supernovae and neutron stars. The multi-messenger astrophysics of binary neutron star merger GW170817 and its relation to EoS through tidal deformability are also presented in detail. The synthesis of elements heavier than iron in the supernova and neutron star environment by the rapid (r)-process are treated here with special emphasis on the nucleosynthesis in the ejected material from GW170817. This monograph is written for graduate students and researchers in the field of nuclear astrophysics.
Superoxide Ion: Chemistry and Biological Implications (CRC Press Revivals)
by Igor B. Afanas'evThe chemical properties of superoxide ion, its biological role, and the role of other oxygen radicals which arise as a result of its transformations are contained in this text. In Volume I the principal reactions of superoxide ion, including protonation reactions with proton donors, nucleophilic reactions with esters, alkyl halides and other compounds, electron transfer reactions with quinones and metal complexes, are described.
Superplasticity: Common Basis for a Near-Ubiquitous Phenomenon (Engineering Materials)
by K. A. Padmanabhan S. Balasivanandha Prabu R. R. Mulyukov Ayrat Nazarov R. M. Imayev S. Ghosh ChowdhuryThis book combines the perspectives of materials science of Superplasticity, on the one hand, and those of design and mechanics, on the other, in order to provide a holistic view of materials, design, mechanics and performance which will lead to useful solutions of societal benefits, in addition to providing great intellectual challenges. After considering the experimental evidence for superplasticity in different classes of materials, the book discusses the physics-based models, along with their advantages and limitations. Then, the analyses for superplastic forming available in the framework of continuum mechanics, finite element analysis and numerical simulations are presented. Finally, the authors highlight some successful industrial applications. This book is recommended as a text book for courses on Superplasticity and as supplementary use for courses on Materials Processing, Manufacturing, High Temperature Deformation, Nanotechnology and Mechanical Behavior of Materials. Persons working in Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Physics, Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Metallurgy, Ceramics and Geo-sciences are likely to find the book to be useful. It is also recommended as a reference source for practicing engineers involved in the design, processing and manufacture of industrial components, which exploit the unique properties associated with superplastic materials.
Superquake!: Why Earthquakes Occur and When the Big One Will Hit Southern California
by David RitchieIt's coming, sometime within your lifetime, as inexorably as approaching thunder--the biggest earthquake to hit the West Coast since San Francisco was demolished in 1906. This time the target most likely will be southern California and the sprawling, populous city of Los Angeles. And this time the devastation will be greater than ever before, because in the eighty-odd years since the last great quake we have become so much more dependent on our technology. It won't be just toppled buildings and broken roads this time, but the complete disruption of transportation and communication systems, the breakdown of medical services, the destruction of water resources, widespread spilling of toxic chemicals and volatile fuels, and the leakage of radioactive materials. Angelenos can forget about the bomb; they are building their future in the shadow of an equally destructive and much more inevitable catastrophe. Science writer David Ritchie takes a hard look at the evidence predicting a devastating earthquake for southern California sometime within the next fifty years. What causes earthquakes, and how can earth scientists be so certain that a major earthquake is coming? Ritchie surveys the history of California quakes and shows that, while individual generations of Californians may escape catastrophe, on a geologic time scale the West Coast is highly unstable and ripe for disaster.
Superradiance
by Richard Brito Vitor Cardoso Paolo PaniThis volume gives a unified picture of the multifaceted subject of superradiance, with a focus on recent developments in the field, ranging from fundamental physics to astrophysics. Superradiance is a radiation enhancement process that involves dissipative systems. With a 60 year-old history, superradiance has played a prominent role in optics, quantum mechanics and especially in relativity and astrophysics. In Einstein's General Relativity, black-hole superradiance is permitted by dissipation at the event horizon, which allows energy extraction from the vacuum, even at the classical level. When confined, this amplified radiation can give rise to strong instabilities known as "blackhole bombs'', which have applications in searches for dark matter, in physics beyond the Standard Model and in analog models of gravity. This book discusses and draws together all these fascinating aspects of superradiance.
Superradiance: New Frontiers in Black Hole Physics (Lecture Notes In Physics Series #971)
by Richard Brito Vitor Cardoso Paolo PaniThis book focuses on one mechanism in black hole physics which has proven to be universal, multifaceted and with a rich phenomenology: rotational superradiance. This is an energy extraction process, whereby black holes can deposit their rotational energy in their surroundings, leading to Penrose processes, black-hole bombs, and even Hawking radiation. Black holes are key players in star formation mechanisms and as engines to some of the most violent events in our universe. Their simplicity and compactness make them perfect laboratories, ideally suited to probe new fields or modifications to the theory of gravity. Thus, black holes can also be used to probe some of the most important open problems in physics, including the nature of dark matter or the strong CP problem in particle physics. This monograph is directed to researchers and graduate students and provides a unified view of the subject, covering the theoretical machinery, experimental efforts in the laboratory, and astrophysics searches. It is focused on recent developments and works out a number of novel examples and applications, ranging from fundamental physics to astrophysics. Non-specialists with a scientific background should also find this text a valuable resource for understanding the critical issues of contemporary research in black-hole physics. This second edition stresses the role of ergoregions in superradiance, and completes its catalogue of energy-extraction processes. It presents a unified description of instabilities of spinning black holes in the presence of massive fields. Finally, it covers the first experimental observation of superradiance, and reviews the state-of-the-art in the searches for new light fields in the universe using superradiance as a mechanism.
Superresolution Optical Microscopy: The Quest for Enhanced Resolution and Contrast (Springer Series in Optical Sciences #227)
by Barry R. MastersThis book presents a comprehensive and coherent summary of techniques for enhancing the resolution and image contrast provided by far-field optical microscopes. It takes a critical look at the body of knowledge that comprises optical microscopy, compares and contrasts the various instruments, provides a clear discussion of the physical principles that underpin these techniques, and describes advances in science and medicine for which superresolution microscopes are required and are making major contributions. The text fills significant gaps that exist in other works on superresolution imaging, firstly by placing a new emphasis on the specimen, a critical component of the microscope setup, giving equal importance to the enhancement of both resolution and contrast. Secondly, it covers several topics not typically discussed in depth, such as Bessel and Airy beams, the physics of the spiral phase plate, vortex beams and singular optics, photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM), stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM), structured illumination microscopy (SIM), and light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM). Several variants of these techniques are critically discussed. Noise, optical aberrations, specimen damage, and artifacts in microscopy are also covered. The importance of validation of superresolution images with electron microscopy is stressed. Additionally, the book includes translations and discussion of seminal papers by Abbe and Helmholtz that proved to be pedagogically relevant as well as historically significant. This book is written for students, researchers, and engineers in the life sciences, medicine, biological engineering, and materials science who plan to work with or already are working with superresolution light microscopes. The volume can serve as a reference for these areas while a selected set of individual chapters can be used as a textbook for a one-semester undergraduate or first-year graduate course on superresolution microscopy. Moreover, the text provides a captivating account of curiosity, skepticism, risk-taking, innovation, and creativity in science and technology. Good scientific practice is emphasized throughout, and the author’s lecture slides on responsible conduct of research are included as an online resource which will be of interest to students, course instructors, and scientists alike.